With training camps opening across the N.F.L., Commissioner Roger Goodell has begun handing out suspensions to players for various instances of unacceptable behavior in the off-season. Running back Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens drew the first punishment, receiving a two-game ban Thursday in connection with an incident in which he was accused of assaulting a woman who was then his fiancée and is now his wife.

The penalty imposed on Rice, which Goodell accompanied with a letter to him that was made public by the league, was another example of the immense power Goodell wields in such matters. But it immediately attracted considerable criticism, with everyone from commentators to players to women’s advocates to writers on social media noting that other players in the N.F.L. had been suspended for more than two games for actions that were hardly as threatening as what Rice was accused of doing.

However, Rice’s case is not the only difficult one Goodell is addressing. Also in line to be potentially penalized is Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, who was arrested in March on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and who later had his driver’s license suspended for a year. Goodell’s treatment of Irsay will be closely watched by players, who want to see how the commissioner handles a case involving an owner, who, in effect, is one of his bosses.

Still, on Thursday, all of the attention was focused on the Rice case. The two-game suspension that Goodell imposed, for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy, stems from Rice’s arrest after an altercation last February with Janay Palmer in an elevator in Atlantic City. A video of the incident, in which Palmer appears to be unconscious, subsequently surfaced, and Rice ended up being charged in March with felony assault.

But Rice has since entered a pretrial intervention program and will not serve any jail time, and he and Palmer are now married.

Goodell, who also levied financial penalties against Rice on Thursday exceeding $500,000, met with the player last month as he considered what steps to take, and he referred to that encounter in the letter that the league released.

“As you acknowledged during our meeting, your conduct was unquestionably inconsistent with league polices and the standard of behavior required of everyone who is part of the N.F.L.,” Goodell said in the letter. “The league is an entity that depends on integrity and in the confidence of the public, and we simply cannot tolerate conduct that endangers others or reflects negatively on our game. This is particularly true with respect to domestic violence and other forms of violence against women.”

Still, many of those who wondered why Rice did not get more than a two-game suspension noted that under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, players who test positive for the first time for a performance-enhancing drugs are suspended for four games, or twice what Rice received. That penalty increases to eight games for a second offense and a full-year suspension for a third.

Although the drug issue is a serious one, it does not elicit the fears and concerns that the Rice incident did, with its overriding image of violence against women. And that made many people upset that Rice received a lighter penalty than someone who might have taken a banned substance, perhaps even unintentionally.

Even a first-year player in the N.F.L., with barely any practices under his belt, weighed in.

“No one should put his hands on a woman,” said the player, Calvin Pryor, the first-round draft pick of the Jets, according to Yahoo Sports. "That’s the way I was raised.”

According to a person in the N.F.L. with knowledge of Goodell’s deliberations in the Rice case, Goodell took his cue from the legal developments in the matter. Rice will not go to jail, and the initial felony charge was reduced to what amounted to counseling. Rice and his wife also appeared contrite, speaking publicly together.

“I believe that you are sincere in your desire to learn from this matter and move forward toward a healthy relationship and successful career,” Goodell said in his letter.

Goodell’s punishment will not keep Rice from participating in the Ravens’ training camp and from playing in preseason games. After Goodell acted on Thursday, Rice issued a statement in which he said his goal was “to earn back the trust of the people, especially the children, I let down because of this incident.”

“I am a role model, and I take that responsibility seriously,” he added. “My actions going forward will reveal that.”

Rice’s coach, John Harbaugh, said: “There are consequences when you make a mistake like that. I stand behind Ray. He’s a heck of a guy. He’s done everything right since.”

Goodell’s judgment will remain in the spotlight. He may also suspend linebacker Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers, who was arrested in April on charges of making a bomb threat at an airport in Los Angeles. The charges were later dropped. Smith also pleaded no contest to three felony weapons charges and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence. This month, a judge in California sentenced Smith to community service but no jail time.

Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns could face a yearlong suspension after reportedly failing a drug test for the third time. Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers was arrested in May on domestic violence charges and could also be suspended.

Then there is Irsay. Last year, team officials from Denver and Detroit were suspended after being caught driving while intoxicated. Owners have been fined in recent years, but Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. of the 49ers was the last one to be suspended. That was in 1998, after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of concealing an extortion plot.

Whatever Goodell decides in these cases, comparisons are certain to be made and questions raised.

“When you have a disciplinary policy where the commissioner controls everything,” said Robert A. Boland, who teaches sports law at New York University and was previously an N.F.L. agent, “there will always be some inequities.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B14 of the New York edition with the headline: Ravens’ Rice Draws Two-Game Ban From Goodell Over Assault Case. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe